Assessment

Assessment practices vary according to the purpose for which assessment information is required. Broadfoot (1987) identifies a number of broad purposes for educational assessment as below.

What are they?

• Assessment for curriculum

• Assessment for accountability

• Assessment for communication

• Assessment for Achievement

An assessment refers to the act of collecting ___________ and making judgements about a learner’s knowledge of a language and ability to use it.

That test score can be used for some purpose typically for making a decision about the examinee or it can be used for examinee’s own purpose of study, so it requires ‘reliability’, which refers to the justification of the interpretation made of the test scores and their use.

• True

• False

The examinee’s language capacities ’‘refer to the ‘construct’ (the examinee’s knowledge and abilities) that the test is intended to measure.

The construct influences the test developers’ choice of the followings EXCEPT:

• testing method

• content validity

• the intended meaning of the test scores

• the appropriateness of the test use.

Specific/General Purpose Constructs

A specific purpose construct is intended to assess the language with reference to a particular context of language use. In contrast, a general purpose construct is intended to assess the language without reference to a particular context of language use. 

• True

• False

Test performance involves the demonstration and application of _________, skills and work habits through what is known as performance task.

Test validation is the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores. It was defined as consisting for sub-types such as

• Predictive Validity

• Content Validity

• Criterion-related Validity

• Construct Vaidity

Washback refers to the influence important tests have on classroom practices—in particular, the effects they have on teaching and learning. For example, if the test accurately represents the aims of the curriculum, then teaching and studying for it may contribute to the achievement of these aims. This is known as?

• positive washback

• negative washback

One of the alternative assessment mentioned is a portfolio.

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of students’ work over time that contains samples of their ________ performance at different stages of completion, as well as the student’s own observations on his or her progress.

The fundamental concepts, beliefs and practices in language assessment have changed in recent years, in part because of the shifting relationship between assessment and learning.

• True

• False